Science Stories with Joe Johnson: Ancient Tools, Future Farming, and a Comet to Watch

Our resident science guy Joe Johnson has more on three recent discoveries — one from deep human history, another from cutting-edge agricultural science, and the third from the night sky — are offering new insights into our past, our future, and the universe around us.

A 30,000-Year-Old Toolkit in the Czech Republic
A study in the August issue of the Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology details the discovery of a Paleolithic toolkit at Milovice 4, an archaeological site in the Czech Republic first uncovered in 2009 during road construction.

Radiocarbon dating of charcoal found at the site places the layer at roughly 30,000 years ago, during the Upper Paleolithic. Archaeologists associate the site with the Gravettian culture, hunter-gatherers known for their Venus figurines.

In 2021, researchers found a toolkit consisting of 29 blades and bladelets grouped together as if once wrapped in animal skin. The collection included spear points, scrapers, drills, and blanks for making additional tools. Some had been sharpened or repaired, and the materials — including flint, chert, and even one piece of opal — came from as far as 50 to 80 miles away.

“Normally when they find tools, they’re scattered — one here, one there,” said Johnson, Radio Catskill’s resident science contributor. “These were all together in a group, like somebody set down their kit and never picked it back up.”

For archaeologists, the find offers more than cultural context; it offers a glimpse of one individual’s life 30 millennia ago. “The fact that these things were found together and likely from one person connects us to an individual,” Johnson said. “That gives us some insight into what life may have been like 30,000 years ago.”

New Hydrogel May Boost Farming
A second story, published in June in the American Chemical Society’s Agricultural Science and Technology Journal, highlights a new hydrogel developed at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa.

Hydrogels are water-absorbing polymers already used in products from diapers to contact lenses. The new version is made from carrageenan, a natural compound from red algae, and is fully biodegradable.

Researchers report that the hydrogel not only retains water but also promotes plant growth as a “biostimulant,” reducing the need for fertilizers. In tests with Italian watercress, it supported healthy growth in hydroponic systems while using significantly less water.

“This stuff could also be added to soil to help it retain water,” Johnson explained. “It’s 100% biodegradable, it’s sustainable, and future versions may even have sensors built in that change color to show plant health.”
Beyond water conservation, the technology may one day support farming in space. “If we ever try to grow food on Mars, the soil there is basically poisonous,” Johnson said. “Something like this hydrogel might be a way forward.”

Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon Brightens
Finally, astronomers are tracking comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon, first observed in January by the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona.

Initially expected to remain faint, the comet emerged from behind the sun in July brighter than predicted. Currently visible only with binoculars or a small telescope, it could become visible to the naked eye by late October.

On October 20, the comet will pass 55 million miles from Earth, coinciding with a new moon and dark skies. It will reach its closest point to the sun on November 8.

“Comets never do what they’re predicted to do,” Johnson noted. “This one came out from behind the sun a lot brighter than we thought it would, and that’s a promising sign.”

Observers hoping to spot the comet should look northwest about an hour after sunset in a location with a clear horizon. Johnson recommends patience and preparation: “Take about 20 minutes to let your eyes adjust, and remember your phone camera is often more sensitive than your eyes. You might see the comet on your screen before you spot it in the sky.”

Image: Comet. (Credit: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology)